Forbidden Fruit
by MtnDew26
Summary: Every part of my body was aware of him. And suddenly I'm remembering that kiss, god that kiss was good. Katniss and Peeta's parents remarry. They are never reaped. Suddenly they are siblings, living under the same roof.
1. Chapter 1

**I wrote this chapter out about two months ago, and I thought it was pretty original, that is until I went on fanfiction and saw that someone else had already written a story about it. I of course got crazy self-conscious imagining the flames coming at me about how I was a copy-cat, so I didn't post it.. But THEN when I was randomly chilling and searching fanfiction, I saw another one with the exact same story, and I checked the reviews and there were no angry people demanding that they delete it because they thought it was copied :D yay! Then I realized of course that the nature of fanfiction is to take a fascinating and original idea like The Hunger Games and copy-cat the hell out of the story :D So here I is, posting mai story **

Three words can change everything. Three words, followed by three more, followed by three more, and then followed by even more. Words that keep flowing out endlessly trying to come up with an adequate description for what sounds like fortune, acts like joy, yet feels like nothing but betrayal. My mind is frozen in place, attempting to acknowledge what is happening. I feel bolted to the ground as all the information is thrown at me. I'm sure my face must look numb, because my body feels that way.

My mother sits across from me on the floor of our main room. I'm looking at her suspiciously now. She's about to tell me what has happened that changed her. I'm sure of it. For years she has been entirely catatonic, that is until the last few months.

"We should talk...Katniss? Can we talk?"

"Um. Yes. I don't know. What is it?" I play it cool, as if I have no notion of what she is about to say. Unfortunately I've never been the smoothest liar.

"Nothing's wrong honey. Something's happened lately. I um, well...do you know Leon? The baker?"

"Of course I know him, Mom. He's... the baker." My mind is reeling. What does the baker have to do with this?

"Well. Uh, he's become something more than the baker to me. And, and to Prim too. Well, we started seeing more of each other since my birthday. Did you know his wife died two winters ago? I found that out a while ago..."

"What are you saying?"

"Well since my birthday we've been spending some time together and... Well, I just know its what your father would have wanted. For me to be happy again, for us to be a normal family again."

I sit back as the words make sense.

"You...and him..." I swallow and take a deep breath.

"He really loves me, Katniss. Really. And I do too. This is what your Father would have wanted, you know it is."

"Uh huh..." It begins to sink in, and I realize it's true. This is what he would have wanted. He was selfless, after all. It still feels like betrayal. Undeniably.

"So you're...together now?"

"He um...he proposed. Yesterday. In, in front of Prim. That's how she already knows. She's happy too. I think she really needed a father again."

"Oh. Wow. Isn't it kinda fast?" 'Please slow down.' I thought.

"It is, but I want to do this Katniss, I do..."

I just nod and stand up slowly. I can't figure out what to do yet. I should hug her, congratulate her, call Leon. Get to know him better than "the baker". Call Gale. Ask him what I should think. At the same time, I feel like I should be crying for my father, who should have still been here. All I can do is stand. No movement, just confusion.

[Two Months Later]

The big day goes a lot faster than I thought it would. They say "I do".They kiss. They have a public toasting, and most everybody is invited, seeing as the Mellarks are almost as well known as the Undersees. I'm happy for them. I really am. I'm standing in a flowery dress in a line of three girls behind my mom. Bridesmaids. I look across from where I stand, my new stepfather looks at my mom's eyes in a way that just tells me that they deserve to be happy together. I still think of my father. I'll always miss him, but I'm glad I finally have someone else help me take care of Prim and my mother. Behind him stands three boys. One I've gotten to know is Randy. He's the middle brother, and so far, my favorite. His dirty blonde hair reaches just below his ears. The older boy, Cameron, is entertaining at the very least. He is cocky, muscular, and popular with the ladies, if you know what I mean. The third boy is the shy, youngest one. His name is Peeta. We have had barely an entire conversation in a ll these past few months. But I'm determined to be his friend, pay him back, no longer owe him the debt. He was the boy with the bread that saved our lives. He saved my life for sure, along with Prim. Which is why I'm glad his father is saving my Mother's now.

Peeta's eyes drift over to meet mine for a split second before he blushes and is suddenly fascinated by his shoelaces.

We all party it out after the wedding. There's cake, dancing, and drinking. It's the most anyone in district 12 could ever ask for at a wedding. I actually enjoy myself. It's the first time in a while that I have a good time.

[Two days later]

I put my school things messily in a box, next to my bed sheets and spare knives for hunting that pass as cooking utensils if a peacekeeper ever asks. The box goes on top of two others of mine, and three of Prim's sit next to the pile. Hers were mostly filled with her clothes and keepsakes of animals she'd taken care of so far in her life. Gale silently steps into the room. "You girls ready?"

"Prim's in the bathroom. We'll be done in a minute."

He nods and picks up two of the boxes. I do as well, leaving one for Prim to carry. It's easy enough for her to handle. We wait for her on the porch and then begin the short trek to the bakery.

"So it's gonna be kinda different, huh? Not living in the seam?"

I nod. This is just another one of the things that I can't quite figure out my feelings about lately. Since it was right above the place where we would soon depend our lives on, my mother agreed to move us above the bakery with the Mellarks. It was different. I'd never thought of living anywhere but the seam...it was inevitable though.

[Hours later]

I hear a knock on my door later that night. It's Randy. "D'you need anything, Katniss?"

"No, I'm fine Randy. But thanks anyway."

He nods and leaves the room. Replacing his presence, minutes later, Peeta walks in and knocks a couple times on the open door.

"Hey." He mumbles. "Um...everyone went to bed except Cameron. The uh...the bathroom's down there." He points down the hallway. "You'll have to share it with a couple of us, but I cleared a shelf for you in the medicine cabinet for uh...y'know...your uh, girl stuff. If, if you need it y'know. 'Cause you're a girl. And girls have lots of stuff right?" His eyebrows scrunch together as he tries to read my face for a reaction.

I laugh a little. "Thank you, I am in fact a girl. And I do have stuff."

"Mhmm." He just nods. "Well I'm gonna go to bed. Night..."

"Night."

I take a shower and fall asleep as well. We need to be awake early tomorrow because tomorrow are the interviews for the Hunger Games. Mandatory viewing for all in Panem, to watch those unfortunate twenty-four who would all but one, die. I feel bad for the girl from 12. Her name is Annalise. I just feel awful for her. She is 18 this year. Her last year, and then she would be done with the reaping. Wouldn't have to ever worry about being reaped again. She had a whole life in front of her and she gets reaped on her very last year. The odds were not in her favor.

**If you don't mind reviewing, that would be awesome :D **


	2. Chapter 2

Forbidden Fruit Ch 2

The next morning, I wake up to a light gray sky.

I don't usually sleep in, but I purposely tried to today. I hoped that somehow when I woke up I wouldn't have to face seeing 23 soon to be dead children.

I pulled myself out of bed, brushed my hair a little to stall and then drifted into the living room. I took a seat next to Peeta, the last empty seat.

The interviews start as they usually are. The quiet tributes come and go, the excited tributes come and go, the scared tributes come and go, the charismatic tributes come and go. Things are fairly normal until the girl from 12 speaks. You see her face and hear the interviewer's voice asking her what her strategy is. She shakes her head and says, "Well if I were you, I would wait sitting down to see me try to kill someone."

The interviewer explains the difficulty in winning that way but all she does is shake her head and repeat, "I don't want to kill anyone." Caesar Flickerman changes the subject and soon the interviews are over.

"It's a shame." I hear Peeta mumble to himself.

**XXX XXX XXX**

_It's raining. The harsh rain drops attack my skin, seeping through my clothes. There is lightening somewhere off in the distance, followed by booming thunder. Somebody stands before me, facing away, facing towards something else, something unknown. The person looks up at the sky and I realize that I hear a voice. I can't entirely decipher what it is saying, but I know it's there._

_Suddenly the person turns around and I see that he is a young boy. No. He is more than a young boy. Those familiar blue eyes. The dirty blonde hair, plastered to his forehead by the rain. The cutting jaw, set on me. He raises his weapon, raises it towards me._

"_Katniss." He says, his eyes turning cold. My eyes trail the weapon he is still lifting. Instinctively, I reach for my weapon. My bow is up and aimed at him before another drop of rain reaches my skin. An arrow flies before I can even think of what I've just done._

_His weapon drops to the ground, the blade sticking into the grass._

I wake up in the middle of the night screaming. I hadn't had such a nightmare since my father died. I was breathing heavy as I lay back down on my bed.

"Katniss?" I heard a soft knock and my name whispered through the door. Peeta. Of all people.

"Come in." I choke out.

His face is worried as he rushes to the side of the bed. "What's wrong?"

"Just a nightmare..."

"D'you wanna talk about it? I remember when I was little, I would have nightmares...and when I talked about them, they sounded less scary." I could see him blushing even in the dark.

"Um. Okay..." I sat up a little and he got up and sat on the edge of the bed, facing me. "Well...I was in the Hunger Games. And you were there too. And we were the last two. And we had to kill each other. And, and you pulled out a knife and you tossed it away in surrender. I think. But before you could finish...I thought you were trying to kill me, so I killed you..." I felt so uncomfortable telling him that I had dreamt about him.

"Well it was just a dream. But for the record, I would never hurt you like that. And I'm sure you wouldn't either. It was just a dream. I nod and look into his deep blue eyes. I feel like I'm getting lost in them when he shakes his head softly and closes his eyes. Opening them again, he mutters, "We should...get back to sleep..."

"Yeah."

"Well...night." He leaves, but I don't go back to sleep.

**XXX XXX XXX**

The next morning, I hear a knock on the door, answered by footsteps and a male voice greeting who I instantly recognize as Gale. I go downstairs and greet him with a wave.

"Katniss, Hey. It's been a while, you wanna go hunting?" He sounds a bit strange but I nod and go back upstairs to search for my hunting jacket. I can never go hunting without it. And just thinking about hunting again gets me excited. I find that I miss it. It was more than a way to keep our family fed. It was an escape from everything. Especially the district. I can hear Peeta and Gale talking in the front room.

"So you're Gale, huh? Haven't heard much about you..."

"Well you should have, after all, I'm her oldest friend."

"Ah. Well I'm sure we'll get around to talking about you now that we spend so much time together."

"Yeah, but it'll take a while for you to spend enough time to match years of friendship."

"Well I'm not you...maybe I don't need years."

I jog downstairs with my jacket to interrupt whatever is going on.

"Kay, I'm ready."

"Kay, Catnip, let's go." He says it to me, but is for some reason still looking at Peeta. When we're outside he talks again.

"I don't like him."

"Who, Peeta?"

"Yeah. He's kind of...rude."

"It didn't sound like it..."

"Whatever."

We hunt and I come home with two rabbits that I give to Peeta, who turns out to be an amazing cook. We eat dinner and then retire to the living room. I'm next to Peeta again and I prepare myself for the worst of the Hunger Games. The first day.

As the timer counts down, I watch the tributes from district 12. They look at each other and nod, some mutual agreement being made with just their eyes. They take in their surroundings and the guy nods again, as if reassuring the girl that it will be okay.

Peeta sits on the edge of the couch. "D'you think they have an alliance?"

"Looks like it."

"I can't tell if it's a good thing or not."

Prim pipes in. "It's good, 'cause they'll need someone to help them survive."

Peeta and I look at each other and we both know that we're thinking the same thing. If they are the last ones, one will have to kill the other.

10...9...8...7...6...5...4...

The tributes take deep breaths and brace themselves.

3...2...1...

As the Games begin, I focus on the District 12 tributes. While everyone runs to the cornucopia, they book it in the opposite direction. Halfway to the forest, where they'll be better hidden, the tribute boy reaches over and grabs the tribute girl's hand as they run. Suddenly the film switches to scenes of another alliance. The careers, killing everyone in their paths.

Peeta's eyebrows are furrowed as he focuses on what he just saw. I've started to think of that look as adorable, because quite frankly, it is.

"We weren't supposed to see that." He says.

"What?"

"Someone told me once that when you aren't supposed to see something on the Games, they switch the scenes as fast as they can. I don't think we were supposed to see that."

"Huh. What do you think it was?"

"Well they we're holding hands...that's more than an alliance."

"What do you mean?"

"They look like they're...y'know, together."

"Oh." The understanding flooded in with the pity. "That's awful..."

Peeta just nodded, stood from the couch, and left.

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	3. Chapter 3

Gale and I are sitting on his roof when we begin talking about the Mellarks. The sun is just beginning to set behind the houses on the other side of the street. If you can even call it a street. It is more like a large strip of distributed pebbles.

"So how's life in the mansion?" Gale asks bitterly. His jaw is set in a grimace as he looks past me, as if there is something fascinating on the horizon. I know he has a hatred for the wealthy, but the comment stings.

"It's not a mansion, it's barely that big..."

"It sure looks like a mansion. It's a lot better than this place anyway. Two floors."

"The bottom floor is a bakery…" I defend softly.

"Is Peeta still being a jackass?"

"He's not a jackass!" I'm not so sure why I feel such a need to support him, but I do. "He's a nice guy." I think back to the night where I had my nightmare. He was so nice to me, comforting me. And then when we woke up again, it was all back to normal.

"Whatever." Gale scoffs and looks in the other direction.

"Don't _whatever_ me! He's a great guy. And he's my-" I choke on the last word for some reason. "My, my brother..." I cannot explain the difficulty I have and why it is so hard to say. The word feels so awkward on my tongue, as if I am telling Gale that Peeta was my grandmother.

"Yeah well clearly your judgement on guys is way off lately." Gale finally meets my eyes and stares through me.

"My judgement is just fine, thanks." I huff and look away from him. "I better get home."

"You do that. Run to Peeta. See what he thinks of me, how 'bout that?"

I glare at him for a split second before deciding to just leave. I hop off the short roof and begin jogging home. I get maybe fifty feet before I hear him scream "Happy Hunger Games, Katniss." In the way he always would before I would say "And may the odds be ever in your favor." I just shake my head and keep jogging.

Instead of going home, I walk around the seam. I see the families all around their televisions, watching the awful Hunger Games. Scenes flash here and there through the windows, of children running, hiding, screaming, as families watch. Some mothers are cooking dinner here and there. There really isn't much of a difference between what they do and what I do now. My anger for Gale is fueled.

When I get home, I expected to find everyone asleep, but one person is still awake. Peeta sits on the couch watching the Hunger Games with an intense stare.

I drum my fingers on the back of the couch."Anything interesting yet?"

He jumps and looks at me. "Oh, Katniss. Hey. No, not much new. They haven't shown anything of the District 12 tributes. It's frustrating."

"Hmm."

Peeta turns the TV off, and stands up to face me. "Are you okay?" His eyebrows are doing the furrowed thing they do when he is focused.

"Oh, yeah, no I'm fine. Yeah, don't worry about me." I wave it off and look down at where my hands are on the couch.

"What's wrong, what happened." Damn, he was good. That is just not natural. Nobody can be that good at reading minds.

"Nothing. I just...I had a fight with Gale. It was no big deal, seriously. Don't worry about it."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm usually pretty good at this sorta thing. Y'know comforting people."

Tell me about it. I think back once more to the night when I had my nightmare.

"Maybe later." I point to the bathroom down the hall. "I'm going to go take a shower."

"Okay." He nods and sits back down.

I take a really long and hot shower, I can literally feel the dirt and grime coming off. It feels good to be clean again. When I get out, I sit on my bed for a moment before I hear Peeta knock on the open door.

"Hey."

"Hi."

He walks forward and sits on the edge of my bed. "You can talk to me about whatever happened. I know you don't know me that well but I kind of have a reputation of being pretty comforting."

"Yeah. I can tell."

"Really? Well, good."

"There's something about your eyes. I don't know, they're...sweet. And, and nice and...comforting." I feel like I've said too much so I look down at my lap. I must be blushing because my face heats up.

"Yeah? Your eyes aren't so bad either."

"I'm awful at comforting people, Peeta. Trust me."

"Well that's not really what they say. Your eyes say that you're brave. And loyal. And a whole lot of other...good stuff." We are both looking down awkwardly now. "So, do you wanna talk about it?"

"Not really. When I think about it, it just makes me angrier."

Peeta nods and turns around to leave. "Okay."

"You don't have to leave." I say before he can take another step. "I could use a distraction."

"A distraction? Um. Okay." He sits back down. "What do you wanna talk about?"

"Well I kinda was hoping to get to know you a bit better. But I don't really know how to do that."

"We could play a game. I learned this game in school once. You uh, you get to know people by playing it."

"What's it called?"

"It doesn't really have an exact name. You just…you say something you've never done, and you if the other person has done it, they have to tell you." He moves to sit down on the bed across from me, and I turn to face him. The bed is in a little nook in the wall just big enough to hold it, so he sits facing me on the opposite side, leaning back against the wall.

"Okay so I'll start and I'll say something like I never had more than one glass of wine. If you have, then you have to tell me."

"I haven't. I've never had anything even remotely close to wine."

"Really? You know you're old enough now."

"Oh, I know. I just never had access to it."

"Right. I guess that makes sense. My friend gave me some when I turned thirteen. You know…celebrating, I guess."

I just nod. It's a common practice, especially amongst those in town. Usually when you reach the legal drinking age, there is some sort of celebration that involves wine or champagne.

"You say another one. I have to think."

"Okay. I've never skinned a squirrel."

I glare at him jokingly. "Not fair...I have. But I've never baked bread."

"Ahh so this is how we're playing this now, huh?"

I nod and smile.

"Fine. I've never braided my hair." With this, Peeta runs a hand through his hair dramatically and toys with the short bangs that hang just above his eyes. He nearly goes cross eyed trying to watch his thick fingers braiding the short wisps of hair.

"Not. Fair. How about... I've never...played this game before."

"Aw come on! Alright alright alright, I got you now. Never have I ever kissed a boy." He gives me this look of triumph but I just shake my head. "Wait, you've never kissed anyone?" His eyes bulge out in surprise.

"No..." I look down self-consciously. "That's not a bad thing...I just...y'know, never got around to it. It's not that surprising!" I start to get defensive. "Not every girl my age is going around kissing everyone..."

"No, no, no...I didn't say that was a bad thing! I just didn't see it coming."

"Who would I have kissed?"

"Well I'm sure there's a long list of guys willing."

"Yeah. Right. Like that'll ever exist. Why would you even think that?"

"Well...you're kinda beautiful. Duh."

I blush and am at a loss for words for a moment. "What? That's. That's crazy."

"Not really..."

"I'm not...that's not...

"Nobody's ever told you how pretty you are?"

"Nope." I'm looking down now, fiddling with the hem of my shirt.

"Well then here's your news flash. You're really pretty, Katniss."

"You don't count, you know."

"What do you mean I don't count?"

"You have to say that. You're my friend. You are my friend right?"

"Of course I am."

"Well friend or not, you're a nice guy, so you have to say that. You don't count."

"But I'm a guy! Doesn't that give me a little leverage here? It's kinda up to me whether girls are pretty or not."

"It's up to you? You, Master Peeta are the decider of all the pretty and ugly girls of Panem?"

"No, that's not what I meant. It's just, y'know my gender. It's up to guys to judge whether girls are pretty or not. And I'm telling you that you're the kind of girl that my gender is attracted to. And I'm part of that gender, so I get to judge." He looks at me confidently, as if he's explained everything perfectly.

"So as a representative of your gender..." I began jokingly, "Are you saying you're attracted to me or are you saying that your 'gender' is attracted to me." I put emphasis on the word gender in a mocking tone.

"Uh, well um. It's no-I mean yeah, bu-not in tha...it's diffe-Um...okay that's a trick question." He accused.

I giggle at his stuttering. "Well if it makes things any better...you're not so bad yourself." I say carefully.

"But I can't tell if you're being nice or legitimate...It makes it confusing."

"I'm serious."

"Can I ask you something?" He says carefully.

"Go ahead."

"Do you think if we weren't y'know, related, technically...do you think you would have dated me? If I'd asked you out?"

I shifted on my bed, thinking about it.

"I think so…" I watch my hands as I fiddle with them. "I don't know, maybe. It depends, I guess. In the right situation. Especially a guy like you."

"But there's not much to like really. I mean with you, it's obvious. You're beautiful, you're funny. And brave. And loyal. And all this really good stuff that I can't match."

"Oh come one, Peeta. First off, I don't know what you're seeing because I'm not as good as you make me sound. And there's plenty to like. You're really sweet. And you're a great cook. You're really comforting, and easy to get along with. And you do this thing with your eyebrows when you're confused or just really focused where you scrunch them up in concentration, and it's really cute. And, and a whole bunch of other stuff..." I look down again and frown. "Stuff that I probably shouldn't be saying because you're uh, we'll you're kind of my brother now."

"Oh, no it's fine." He assures me. "Compliments are always nice...I should go. You probably need sleep, so..."

We say goodnight and I lay down as he leaves. I feel like I've wasted a perfectly good time to get to know him with weird mushy romantic stuff. Which I have.

Where did that even come from? It's not like I have_ any_ feelings for him. I resolve that it has to be some weird after effect of getting in a fight with Gale.

**Sooo…thoughts? Questions? Anything at all? :P**

**Lemme know what you think :D and if you guys have any suggestions, go ahead and give them to me **


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